Press Releases

ATLANTA 2010/01/14 -"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Teddy Pendergrass as they mourn the loss of an American legend and musical icon.

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women and the third most common cause of cancer death. Colon cancer affects African Americans disproportionately – among African Americans, incidence rates are more than 20 percent higher and mortality rates are about 45 percent higher than those in whites. But there is hope. Colon cancer incidence and death rates are dropping thanks to regular screening and better treatments, and a number of clinical studies show that colon cancer screening can reduce the risk of death from this disease by up to 35 percent.

“The American Cancer Society recommends that all men and women age 50 and over get one of the several screening tests available for colon cancer, because colon cancer screening can save lives.”

Busola Afolabi

Media Relations Manager

American Cancer Society

404-417-5894

busola.afolabi@cancer.org